It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up!
This month we begin with Mara Wilson’s memoir, Where Am I Now? There were so many directions I could have gone with this but I decided to link to Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) on the basis that both writers are currently appearing at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
During his talk, Coates referred to Toni Morrison. I recently read Morrison’s Beloved.
Beloved has been made into an opera. I don’t think there are too many modern novels that have been made into operas but one that comes to mind is Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto.
I haven’t read Bel Canto (yet – I will because Patchett! Opera!) but it was recommended to me by Annabel Smith. Annabel also recommended We the Animals by Justin Torres. Coincidentally, both books appear on this list.
Another book on that list that I’ve been meaning to read is Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.
Author Michelle Law referred to Crazy Rich Asians when she was talking about writing from a minority perspective at a MWF session on ‘sacred texts’. Law stated that one book can’t represent every experience and yet titles such as Crazy Rich Asians get unfairly marketed that way. Law is a contributor to a collection of essays about different experiences – Growing Up Asian in Australia.
From a Hollywood memoir to Asian-Australian memoirs, with opera and the Melbourne Writers Festival in between. Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (October 6, 2018), we’ll begin with a teen classic, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.
